Dangerous practice

Has anybody else noticed the picture on bottom left page 15, of this months Good wood Magazine looks like Andy King using the saw. As a medic back in the 80's&90's one day in casualty in comes a young man asking if somebody could help him he then opened one of his hands to reveal 4 fingers laying neatly in the palm of said hand. He was a time served carpenter and joiner who had been trimming the bottom of a door one hand infront of saw!!!!! one hand on the saw Hit an unseen nail the saw jumped in the click of your fingers 4 fingers gone! we did manage to replace them but they never worked properly again. Hand held saws have two handles for a very good reason USE THEM!!!!!!!!! and don't cut towards a free hand under any circumstances. I did write to the editor of the mag and received very gracious reply and apology for publishing the picture which I thought very nice and hope my little true tale will stop some other person loosing their digits. Ged Meager

OK

Gerald, yes well said and this applies to plunge or track saws as well ! Recently I was useing my new toy to crosscut some worktop, the off cut was not properly supported just hand held by me and another at the last moment the saw nipped and leapt off the track etc fortunately no damage other than a chunk out of the track----so lucky were we !

Please take Gerald's warning seriously. John